Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Tutorial # 3
Course: PH 101: Physics I (2020)
Discussion: 8:00 am to 8:55 am on 11th December, 2020
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1. A particle located at a point (x0 , y0 ) (in the Cartesian coordinate) is
2 2
experiencing a potential of functional form, U = U0 ex /a sin 2πy
b
, where
U0 , a and b are the constants. Find the magnitude and direction of the
maximum rate of increase in U with position.
2. (a) Determine whether the following forces are conservative or non-
conservative . (b) Make a vector sketch (magnitude and direction) of
the forces, (i) to (iii) at some points on a circle centered at origin.
(i)F~1 = B1 (yx̂ − xŷ), B1 is a constant.
(ii)F~2 = B2 (y 2 x̂ − x2 ŷ), B2 is a constant.
(iii)F~3 = −A(x2 + y 2 )(xx̂ + y ŷ), A is a constant.
(iv)F~4 = (y 2 cosx + z 3 )x̂ + (2ysinx − 4)ŷ + (3xz 2 + 2)ẑ. In this case you
need not sketch the force.
3. Find the work done by the following forces for the two different closed
paths: (a) Anti-clock wise circular path centered at origin with radius
R (b) A clock-wise rectangular path centered at origin with length 2a
along x-direction and breadth 2b along y-direction.
(i)F~1 = B1 (yx̂ − xŷ), B1 is a constant.
(ii)F~2 = B2 (y 2 x̂ − x2 ŷ), B2 is a constant.
(iii)F~3 = −Ar3 r̂, A is a constant.
4. Two charges (+Q) are fixed at points A and B (x = 0, y = ±L) in the
horizontal plane as shown in figure. The center of mass (C.M.) of a rod
of length 2l is free to move along X-axis in the horizontal plane. Two
charges (−q) are attached at two ends of the rod. The rod is free to
rotate only about an axis perpendicular to the XY plane and passing
through C.M.
(i) Write the constraints of the motion and find the degree of freedom.
(ii) For | + Q| >> | − q|, write the potential energy of the rod, if its
1
C.M. is at (x, 0) and making an angle θ with positive Y-axis as shown
in figure below.
(iii) For L>> l, L>> x and θ to be very small, find the approximated
potential.
+Q
A
L -q Y
x θ
O l
O X
-q
L
B
+Q
5. A block of mass m tied with two springs of length L and spring con-
stant k, are held on a friction-less horizontal table. The other end of
the springs are fixed on the horizontal table (gravity is perpendicular
to the horizontal plane). The block is displaced by an amount x in per-
pendicular direction to the length of both the spring in the horizontal
plane as shown in figure below.
(i) Find the potential energy of the block for this displacement.
(ii) For the small displacement, x << L, will the block exhibit simple
harmonic motion?
B Fixed
L Y
Block m
X
x
Fixed
A
